Pro Bono
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Parks Law Offices is committed to providing a variety of pro bono legal services to both individuals and entities, typically nonprofit organizations, within our community.
Having previously been awarded the Oregon State Bar's 2007 Pro Bono Award, attorney Kevin Parks continues to maintain an ongoing commitment to providing pro bono legal services as often as possible, consistent with the adoption of the Parks Law Offices Pro Bono Policy, below. |
Parks Law Offices Pro Bono Policy
Parks Law Offices' Commitment to Pro Bono
Parks Law Offices, LLC believes that pro bono service is an essential element of every attorney's professional responsibility. Lawyers possess unique skills and abilities to serve persons of limited means and to promote the public interest in ways that no other profession can. Lawyers have a duty, as professionals, to contribute to the welfare of the community, to assist in the development of the legal profession, and to broaden the overall commitment to access to justice for all people. Furthermore, in a society governed by the rule of law, lawyers have an obligation to ensure that the legal system works, especially for persons of limited means.
Pro bono benefits individual attorneys, law firms, and communities. The personal satisfaction that comes from changing people's lives by rendering free legal services cannot be overstated. Lawyers receive invaluable training and experience that broadens their professional development and expands their community awareness. Active community involvement presents opportunities for lawyers to attract individual and corporate clients. Pro bono reaches the diversity of people in the community and offers creative solutions to their legal problems.
Pro Bono Standards
This firm supports the Pro Bono Aspirational Standard adopted by the Oregon State Bar in 1989 for all lawyers:
Pro bono publico or pro bono service includes all uncompensated services performed by lawyers for the public good. Such service includes civic, charitable and public service activities; as well as activities that improve the law, the legal system and the legal profession. The direct provision of legal services to the poor, without an expectation of compensation, is one type of pro bono service. Each lawyer in Oregon should endeavor annually to perform 80 hours of pro bono services. Of this total, the lawyer should endeavor to devote 20 to 40 hours or to handle two cases involving the direct provision of legal services to the poor, without an expectation of compensation. If a lawyer is unable to provide direct legal services to the poor, the lawyer should endeavor to make a comparable financial contribution to an organization that provides or coordinates the provision of direct legal services to the poor.
This firm also supports the following pro bono standards:
Pro Bono Defined
Parks Law Offices recognizes that attorneys perform a wide variety of public service activities. We applaud and encourage such efforts.
Our pro bono commitment focuses on particular types of service, including:
In addition to providing pro bono services, the firm encourages lawyers to contribute to organizations that coordinate legal services for persons of limited means.
Parks Law Offices, LLC believes that pro bono service is an essential element of every attorney's professional responsibility. Lawyers possess unique skills and abilities to serve persons of limited means and to promote the public interest in ways that no other profession can. Lawyers have a duty, as professionals, to contribute to the welfare of the community, to assist in the development of the legal profession, and to broaden the overall commitment to access to justice for all people. Furthermore, in a society governed by the rule of law, lawyers have an obligation to ensure that the legal system works, especially for persons of limited means.
Pro bono benefits individual attorneys, law firms, and communities. The personal satisfaction that comes from changing people's lives by rendering free legal services cannot be overstated. Lawyers receive invaluable training and experience that broadens their professional development and expands their community awareness. Active community involvement presents opportunities for lawyers to attract individual and corporate clients. Pro bono reaches the diversity of people in the community and offers creative solutions to their legal problems.
Pro Bono Standards
This firm supports the Pro Bono Aspirational Standard adopted by the Oregon State Bar in 1989 for all lawyers:
Pro bono publico or pro bono service includes all uncompensated services performed by lawyers for the public good. Such service includes civic, charitable and public service activities; as well as activities that improve the law, the legal system and the legal profession. The direct provision of legal services to the poor, without an expectation of compensation, is one type of pro bono service. Each lawyer in Oregon should endeavor annually to perform 80 hours of pro bono services. Of this total, the lawyer should endeavor to devote 20 to 40 hours or to handle two cases involving the direct provision of legal services to the poor, without an expectation of compensation. If a lawyer is unable to provide direct legal services to the poor, the lawyer should endeavor to make a comparable financial contribution to an organization that provides or coordinates the provision of direct legal services to the poor.
This firm also supports the following pro bono standards:
Pro Bono Defined
Parks Law Offices recognizes that attorneys perform a wide variety of public service activities. We applaud and encourage such efforts.
Our pro bono commitment focuses on particular types of service, including:
- All activities in OSB Aspirational Standard (OSB Bylaw 13.1)
- All activities in ABA Model Rule 6.1
- Direct provision of legal services to persons of limited means without an expectation of compensation, including all volunteer services through a legal aid office or non-profit organization’s pro bono program
- Delivery of legal services to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations in matters which are designed primarily to address the needs of persons of limited means
- Delivery of legal services at no fee to individuals, groups or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties or public rights
- Delivery of legal services at a substantially reduced fee to individuals, groups or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties or public rights
- Delivery of free legal services that benefit the public (e.g., helping an arts organization obtain nonprofit status; giving legal advice to a nonprofit board)
- Legal activities that improve the law, the legal system and the legal profession (e.g., serving on an OSB, local bar, or court committee, section, or task force; coaching a mock trial team; serving as a volunteer 'pro tem' judge)
- Mentoring another lawyer on pro bono work
In addition to providing pro bono services, the firm encourages lawyers to contribute to organizations that coordinate legal services for persons of limited means.